Sweden's best gymnast Jonna Adlerteg made her Olympic debut in 17 years in London 2012. If the Olympics turn out next year, she will have turned 26.

- I thought I would get tired but I haven't. I am passionate about gymnastics and still want to train and compete, she says when SVT Sport meets her in the gymnasium in Eskilstuna.

"More people who continue higher up in the ages"

Next to the carpet in Vilstahallen are experienced trainer duos Sebastian and Helena Melander, who see a positive development in gymnastics when it comes to age.

- It is changing, that we are seeing more who continue to rise higher in age. I think that's good, says Helena Melander.

As in the rest of the sports world, the corona pandemic has hit the gym hard. Competitions are canceled and the European Championships in Women's Artistic Gymnastics, which should have been held in Paris at the end of April / May, have been canceled or postponed.

The solution for Jonna Adlerteg has been to train as usual. The accurate four-year plan up until the Olympics has become a five-year plan. In the bars she grinds on a new combination with a tenth higher level of difficulty - a small change that can make a big difference in the competition context.

Training with the junior national team

In addition, Adlerteg is currently training with the junior national team, a new generation of talented girls.

- If you look back a few years, we were a group of girls who trained a lot together. But after the Rio 2016 Olympics, many people quit and I trained with Sebastian (Melander) for several years. Now there are new girls from below who are high level, it is super fun that there is more movement in the hall, says Jonna Adlerteg.

She has in many ways paved the way for Swedish women's gymnastics with her successes. And think that group training can further spur her on.

- When I drive I am so into my own, but I see how the girls develop. There are little things that they do better than me. Then I feel I have to raise myself a snap.